


Zoophobia (and Other Excuses You Tell Yourself)

by astudyinfic



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-07-08 17:42:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19873528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinfic/pseuds/astudyinfic
Summary: Animals don't like him and Raphael tells people the feeling is mutual.Meliorn doesn't quite believe him.





	Zoophobia (and Other Excuses You Tell Yourself)

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [sh_ficletinstruments](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/sh_ficletinstruments) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> ”OK, I might have forgotten to tell you I’m very afraid of horses.”

Raphael’s eyes narrowed and he instinctively took a step back. When Meliorn instructed him to meet at Central Park, this was not what the vampire had in mind. Though, he should have known that his Seelie boyfriend would pull something like this. He never lied but often omitted the truth.

Raphael needed to get better about reading between the lines.

“Good, you’re here. I already have two picked out.” Meliorn sat on the fence, looking the picture of ease considering the beasts that stood not three feet behind him. Raphael tried to look at his partner but his gaze kept trailing back to the beady-eyes of the animals behind him. 

“You wish for us to ride them?” he asked carefully, looking for a clear yes or no. As much as he loved the Seelie, he knew better than to expect any kind of straight answer from him. When Meliorn nodded, Raphael sighed. “In all our time together, I might have forgotten to tell you I’m afraid of horses.”

It wasn’t just horses. Raphael didn’t like being near most living creatures, though it hadn’t always been that way. When he was young and mundane, he fed the kittens that lived in the alley behind their house. Each kitten was named and taken care of by one of his siblings. They looked forward to it every day after school, something they all did together. He’d never forget the way Rosa’s eyes lit up when a kitten butted its small head against her hand. 

After his change, no animal would come near him. Whether they sensed an apex predator, or if it was some other unease caused by his proximity, they all bolted when they saw him coming. Dogs, cats, pigeons, even the Central Park squirrels that were afraid of nothing. Everything went the other way in a desperate attempt at self-preservation. 

He told himself that he was afraid of them, that he didn’t like them. Pigeons were just rats with wings. Squirrels were shifty. Horses were plotting murder. The more outrageous the thought, the better it made Raphael feel about not going near them. No one ever questioned his claims of phobias, letting it pass without comment. Until Meliorn.

Meliorn saw right through him. “You are not afraid. Come here and I will prove it to you.” 

Raphael trusted him (as much as you could trust one of the Fair Folk) but still eyed the horse warily. Finally, he closed the distance. 

“Give me your hand.” 

Holding it out without question, Meliorn took it in his own then turned to the horse who wandered over to them. Meliorn held it out to the horse which sniffed once then pressed its muzzle into Raphael’s hand. It transported Raphael back to when he was young and the joy on his sister’s face. 

He might never love horses but he was thankful to this one (and to the love of his eternal life) for giving him that joy back for a brief moment of time.


End file.
